Books, film, etc

A Brief History of Climate Folly

Tim Flannery and Emma Flannery

Tim Flannery and Emma Flannery present an engaging, easy-to-read, holistic, and intelligent story. This book is a fascinating history of people who wanted to change the climate, written by one of Australia's most recognised names in nature writing - this time partnering with his daughter, Emma.

Mankind is struggling with the climate crisis and finding it just too hard to reduce emissions. Perhaps science can engineer solutions?

It turns out this line of thinking is as old as humanity. From shamanism to cloud-seeding to Cold-War plans to nuke the Arctic ice cap, humans have been trying - or claiming - to influence the weather for millennia.

In this interesting, easy to read, book Tim and Emma talk about history's silliest and grandest attempts at climate control, while addressing the serious question: can we do better in the Anthropocene?

After all, our lives depend on it.

'An insightful look at current geoengineering proposals and China's advances in solar energy. Fascinating.' Canberra Weekly

'The Flannerys communicate the science with the fidelity of seasoned palaeontologists without losing the breathless wonder of a seven-year-old talking about sharks at the dinner table...A fascinating read.' Saturday Paper on Big Meg

Robyn Whale

To Hear the Trees Speak

Olivia Sprinkel

"It is in the act of listening that the relationship between two beings is transformed. The other being knows that you are listening to them. And sometimes there is nothing to say."

When Olivia learns that thousand-year-old giant African Baobab trees are dying, she is seized by an urgent need to do something in response. Working as a sustainability consultant in New York, she realized that action on climate change is not happening fast enough. She leaves her job and home and embarks on a world-wide journey to listen to trees, from Brazil, Sri Lanka and Finland.

From blue gums in Australia to giant sequoias in California - from banyan trees in India to ancient olives in Spain, Olivia's journey demonstrates the catharsis of reconnecting with nature and how much we can learn from the remarkable existence of trees.

Robyn Whale

Juice 

One of Australia’s favorite novelists turns his attention to the future, a grim future turned apocalyptic by the effects of unchecked climate change. The novel takes place in Western Australia where summers are hot enough that people must live underground for part of the year. The protagonist of the story drives through a bleak and burned landscape with a young girl in an attempt to find sanctuary. They become detained by an armed man who keeps them in an old mine shaft. The protagonist’s past unfolds as he tells his story to his captor. Tim Winton shows no mercy to the heads of corporations and their descendants that are complicit in fueling climate change resulting in this uninhabitable world. While the story and setting are bleak, it is an action-packed page-turner told by a master of language and imagery. And there is a sense of hope amidst this dystopian future as people are fighting against the past and still working for a future even as society slips into barbarism.

What's the Big Idea?: 30 Years of the Australia Institute 

This book offers a collection of short essays on a variety of issues, all of great importance in Australia today: climate change and actions, gender inequalities, the growing wealth gap in Australia, housing, the design of cities in a warming world, our international relationships and more. Each essay is only a few paragraphs long, and offers a condensed view of the issue and solutions. There are many authors eminent in their field, and they are offering fresh, up-to-date visions for our society. This book is easy to read and covers a broad range of important issues. It would be a great introduction to many topics important to our society today.